Matthew R. Kostalek
Island Lake, IL

I found myself sitting at my drawing table trying to figure out what to do with the round 1 objects. I had visions of an oasis floating through my mind, but couldn't seem to come up with a drawing that I liked. All of a sudden a woman appeared in front of me. She was clearly a spiritual leader from another time and place She was an intriguing and mysterious figure who seemed to be offering me a deal. She offered to be my guide to stained glass creativity and to help me open my mind to new possibilities, but (as is always the case) there was a price. If I wanted the help of this powerful ally I would need to give her form in light. I eagerly accepted this offer and you see before you photos of the "Wisewoman". Bringing this powerful image to light was an interesting task especially since I elected to try to do it without using any painting techniques. I had never attempted to create a human face in glass before and hadn't considered doing it without paint, but I think the result is both beautiful and interesting. My biggest challenge was, of course time (I could have moved and changed the various shapes that make up the Wisewoman's face endlessly), and as is often the case, some of my soldering suffered form the deadline. It was a thrill to get to meet the Wisewoman as I worked on Round 1. Who knows who may be lurking around future corners.